Regardless of the outcome of the EUref and your position on it - Do you think Cameron was right to even call a referendum in the first place?

[AdrenalineFudge]

Just curious? I think he could have still won the election without calling a referendum on the EU. The whole issue of 'shy' tories coming out in force to elect the Conservatives as the major governing party.

That said, it was the first time a new generation would be able to decide on their future in the EU - make what you will of exit polls in that most people who will have to deal with the consequences voted to remain but do you think that the referendum was needed in the first place?

I think it was an absolutely terrible idea. Most people haven't got a hope of understanding all the issues. And it reduces a complicated set of policies and issues to a simple yes/no questionz

I think its was a wonderful idea, the best, and I am glad we go the right result.

I also feel very strongly that many people who voted remain did so without any grasp of the full facts.

Cameron gambled the country's future in order to try to silence the eurosceptics in his party. The referendum was expected to return a "remain" result, and forever shut them up, and hopefully get rid of UKIP at the same time.

Boris then saw his chance of wooing the eurosceptics, himself, and jumped on the "leave" bandwagon, also gambling the country's future for his own political ends.

They treated the country as a pawn in their game.

I voted remain, but I have seen many reasoned and intelligent arguments for leave and I have no objection to a proper national debate on the issues.

But that is not what we had. We had lies, exaggeration, negative campaigning and propaganda on a massive scale.

I am hugely angry that this was done, with no plan for what would happen in the eventuality of a leave vote. (And this point was raised many times during the campaigning period and only ever answered with rhetoric, which, as we now know only too well, was because there was no other answer to give.)

No. I have every right to try and fly a plane but the fact I have no idea how to do it makes it daft to ask me.

If they were really concerned about our future in the EU they should have brought together experts from all fields, including those concerned with the peace process in NI, economics, the environment etc etc and used people who knew what they were talking about to help them make a decision.

As it is, they asked me, with my decent knowledge of the environment but lack of understanding of economics and my total absence of thought about NI; they asked my neighbour who didn't even realise there was such a thing as a trade deal. The more I think about it, the more I think neither of us were remotely qualified to answer such an important question. The winner of the X-factor, yes. Something which will have ripple effects through the world in multiple ways and affect several generations to come? No. Just no.

And all this because Dave was worried about UKIP.

Totally agree baby.

I feel worse about the whole thing by the day.

Just out of interest, if you think we should be asked the question, do you think you had enough information to make a proper, fully formed decision, including all aspects (immigration, trade and economic, political implications, both internal and on a world level etc). And where do you source the information from?
Does it matter? Is it ok to not really understand a lot of it? If so, why?

And if you do feel you have enough information, what about the fact that a lot of people didn't? Is it ok to have your future decided by people who dont understand an issue and really don't care enough to properly look into it?

Tory vanity project with truly hideous consequences. I am so angry that he played fast and loose with my country.

babybythesea

Gove said that the British public were fed up with experts

I think it was wrong to have an in/out only referendum. Although I believe these decisions should lie with them they'd have not caused half these problems if they went with a referendum based on a potential exit plan.

No.
I was happy with the result, but not the way it has played out.

Yes. I think next time he needs medical attention that we should get someone off the street to attend to him. After all, he doesn't need an expert.

baby

I think he was right to hold the referendum, it's been a long time coming.

However, he held it for the wrong reasons, he didn't hold it because he believed we have the right to make this decision, but because he feared not winning the GE.

Having committed to holding it, he had no choice. He then went into the mode of trying to scare the country into staying in and vastly over played his hand.

He issued 'dire' warnings for voting against his view. If his opinion was that leaving would have DIRE consequences for 'the country he loves' then he should have had the balls to go into the last General Election with that view. Not offer a referendum and take a side afterwards.

The man is a fool.

I'm fine with that though, because we are better off out. We just need them to elect a new PM that believes it too so we get the very best deal possible. Andrea Leadsom would be brilliant, but unfortunately she's not very well known. May or Gove will not get us the best possible deal.

He was right to call a referendum. We didn't get one when the uk went from being part of a free trade agreement to being part of something aiming to be a superstate. Hell even our own politicians weren't happy at the time but it was pushed through!

As for trusting in MPs to make these decisions, clearly parliament doesn't reflect the majority view on this so I'm glad we got a say.

IMO the referendum and the way it was carried out has done irrevocable damage - to this country (IMO) and to us as a society. I feel betrayed by politicians and angry with people who voted leave. However it's not their fault either (the leave voters). It's really the fault of the politicians who handed us this choice.

I agree with this article:

www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/brexit-democratic-failure-for-uk-by-kenneth-rogoff-2016-06

No doubt I will get flamed now but I do feel extremely upset. A proper debate in parliament, yes. The media lead farce that we had - no.

Even if you believe in government by referendum - I don't - surely calling one to in order further your own political career is the worst possible reason.

I think history will judge him harshly and he deserves it.

Joysmum. If the majority of MOs do not agree with abreast, is it because they are being advised by experts (the people who have studied and who have experience in their field, those hero actually know what they are talking about) from all fields. And have made decisions based on that? In which case, what makes me better equipped when I have a sketchy knowledge of the topics necessary? Is mob rule necessarily better when a lot of the mob don't really understand all the implications? I include myself in this. I read as much of the economics as I could but although I have Masters, it's not in economics and my understanding was limited. Of the implications to NI, I gave not a thought. The environmental side of things I do understand and that worries me hugely. But that does not make me fit to vote in this when there were many issues beyond the environment and when the effects will ripple down generations to come.

Abreast should be Brexit. I'm really not interested in anything they may have to say where breasts are involved, unless it's to do with maternity rights.

And in countries where they do have a radiation of referendum, they are often overruled, or they hold a second one say, two years later, in order to ensure that it is in fact what people want, that the mood has not swung in the meantime so that the result is free from whims of the moment, and to allow people to start to see the outcomes and consequences of their decision. The UK has none of these safeguards.

I feel that we (residents of the UK) have been played in a massive game of chess and they (the Tories) do not give a shiny shit about the damage that they have caused. They are so wrapped up in themselves that they are hardly aware of it . I hate them all.